Safety device for platen printing presses



J. G. MEYER SAFETY DEVICE FOR PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES Filed July 9. 1925 Patented Sept. 22, 1925. i 1 i JOHN G. MEYER, OF WILLIAMSPORT, PENNSYLVANIA.

SAFETY DEVICE non PLATEN PRINTING PRESSES. A j a Application filed July 9, 1925. Serial No. 42,516.

To all 107mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. MEYER, a citizen of the United States of America,

. residing at Williamsport, in the county of Lycoming and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices for Platen Printing Presses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in safety devices for platen printing presses.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a safety device in the form of a guard which is carried by the movable platen and functions to remove the arm of the operator of the press when the platen moves toward its printingror impression niiaking position, to prevent the said arm or the hand carried thereby from being caught and mashed between the platen and the bed of the press.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designatelike parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fragmentary portion of a platen printing press shown with the platen in its closed or printing position and with the safety device embodying this invention properly mounted upon the movable platen,

Figure 2 is a similar view to Fig. 1 but shows the platen in its open or non-printing position in readiness for receiving a sheet upon which an impression is to be made, and

Figure 3 shows the guard or safety device carried by the platen and arranged in its operative position, which position is assumed during the intervals the platen is moving between the two positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of this invention, the numeral 5 designates thebed of a platen printing press which carries the printing type, not shown, clamped to the face 5 The standards 6 form a part of the platen printing press and extend horizontally outwardly from the surface 5 Suitably connected to the forward ends of the standards 6 are the bearing structures 7 which support the trunnions 8 carried by the base 9 which has suitably fastened thereto the platen 10.

In Fig. 1 the platen 10 is illustrated as having mounted upon a suitable portion thereof the spaced bearing brackets 11 which have journaled therein the stub shaft portions- 12 of a guard frame 14 which is formed with the screening or netting 18, as illustrated. Projecting outwardly from the ends of the stub shafts 12 are the crank portions 15 and 16, the crank portion 15 preferably extending away from the bottom edge 14 of the guard 14 while the crank portion 16 extends diametrically opposite to the direction of the crank portion 15.

The crank portion 15 has pivotallyconnected thereto the outer end of a rod 17 which extends through an aperture formed in the bracket 18 carried by the inner side face of one of the standards 6. This guided end of the rod 17 has adjustably arranged thereupon a nut 19 which is intended to be moved into engagement with the bracket 18 50 when the platen is moved into its closedor printing position, as shown in Fig. 1. The engagement of this nut 19 with the bracket 18 will prevent the rod 17 from moving further with the platen prior to the time 1 when the platen has been moved into its completely closed or printing position. This stopping of the rod 17 will cause the guard 14 to be moved into a position extending in a plane parallel to the plane of the platen 10.

When the platen is being returned to its opened position, as shown in Fig. 2, the rods 17 will be moved through the aperture in the bracket 18 for disengaging the nut 19 therewith. The freeing of the rod 17 will permit the spring 20 connected at one end to the remaining crank 15 and at its other end to the base 9, to pivot the guard 14 for swinging the same into the position illustrated in Fig. 3, in which position it will lie against or engage the upper edge 10 of the platen and will project upwardly from its sheet receiving surface.

When the platen 10 has been moved into its fully opened position, as shown in Fig. 2, the crank portion 15 will engage the bracket 21 carried by the left hand standard 6 and will be moved by this bracket so thatthe guard 14 will be arranged in the same position in respect to the plat-en 10 as shown in Fig. 1, i. e. in a position extending on a plane parallel to the plane occupied by the platen 10.

The guard 14L really functions as a safety device during the movement of the platen.

from the position shown in Fig. 2 toward the position shown in Fig. 1. During this movement of the platen, the rod 17 will be free to slide in the aperture formed in the bracket 18 and the spring 20 will act upon the crank portion 15 for shifting the guard into the position illustrated in Fig. 3. This movement of the guard will move the arm of the person operating the press out of the path of travel of the platen so that his arm or hand will not be caught between the platen 10 and the bed 5.

It is to be understood that the form of this invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to Without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, I claim 1. In a safety device of the type described, the combination with a printing press having a movable platen, of a guard pivotally carried by the platen, means for actuating the guard to shift it into an operative position when the platen is moved toward its printing position, and means acting in oppo sition to the first mentioned means for shifting the guard into an inoperative position when the platen closely approaches its printing position.

2. In a safety device of the type described, the combination with a printing press hav ing a movable platen, of a guard pivotally carried by the platen, a crank portion connected to the guard, a spring connected to the guard and the platen for shifting the guard into an operative position when the platen is moved toward its printing posi tion, a rod pivotally connected to the crank portion carried by the guard, an abutment carried by the free end of the rod, and means carried by the stationary frame portion of the printing press and adapted to engage the abutment carried by the rod for shifting the guard into an inoperative position just prior to the time when the platen is moved into its printing position.

3. In a safety device of the type described, the combination with a printing press having a. movable platen, of a guard pivotally carried by the platen, oppositely extending crank portions carried by the pivoted guard, means connected to one of the crank port-ions and the platen for moving the guard into an operative position when the platen is moved toward its printing position, means cooperating with the remaining crank portion and a stationary part of the printing press for shifting the guard into an inoperative position just prior to the time when the platen is moved into its printing position, and

means for engaging the first mentioned crank portion for shifting the guard into an inoperative position when the platen is moved into a sheet receiving position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

JOHN G. MEYER. 

